Art
Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that
uses art media as its primary mode of communication.
Clients who are referred to an art therapist need not
have previous experience or skill in art, the art
therapist is not primarily concerned with making an
aesthetic or diagnostic assessment of the client's
image. The overall aim of its practitioners is to enable
a client to effect change and growth on a personal level
through the use of art materials in a safe and
facilitating environment.
In art therapy, the client
uses clay, paint, and other art medium to create images
that explore their feelings, dreams, memories or ideas.
People come to art therapy for a variety of reasons. For
example, individuals suffering with depression, facing
loss, coping with trauma, dealing with addiction,
recovering from sexual abuse, or seeking means to
overcome anxiety have often found relief, courage, and
strengthening insight through art therapy. Creativity
can provide a means of expression for that which has no
words, or is not yet fully understood. Using the
client’s art as an interpretive reference point, the art
therapist helps the client further explore their
feelings, experiences, and perceptions and claim renewed
clarity and meaning in their life.
Music therapy has a
number of different approaches in therapy. Depending
upon the needs of the client and the orientation of the
therapist, different aspects of the work may be
emphasised. Fundamental to all approaches, however, is
the development of a relationship between the client and
the therapist. Music-making forms the basis for
communication in this relationship.
As a general rule both client and therapist take an
active part in the sessions by playing, singing and
listening. The therapist does not teach the client to
sing or play an instrument. Rather, clients are
encouraged to use accessible percussion and ethnic
instruments and their own voices to explore the world of
sound and to create a musical language of their own. By
responding musically, the therapist is able to support
and encourage this process.
Music therapists work with children and adults who have
a wide range of needs, including learning disabilities,
physical, emotional and psychological disorders and
sensory impairments.
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